Just go with the flow

A RIVER runs by this house in the wilds of South Kerry and its selling agent, Joanne Kelly, enthuses about the interior fittings of this pristine property at Bonane, Kenmare.

With an acre of grounds running down to a broad bend in the Sheen river, Sheen Lodge is a newish, one-off that’s just 10 minutes from sophisticated Kenmare town. The €1 million asking price fits the demographic of buyers in this area. “It’s just fantastic inside and is immaculately maintained with a design that maximises on its setting,” says Ms Kelly.

The secluded countryside setting makes Sheen Lodge an ideal breakaway home as you’re guaranteed peace in this location, says the Tom Spillane and Co agent, but there’s tremendous life just up the road, she adds.

The interior is designed with restrained, good taste and as a bonus, all of the furniture and fittings are included in the sale, which in terms of the property and location, makes this a bit of a bargain.

The timber, double-glazed windows are painted in flat white and built-in units are hand-made and painted in the same colour.

Carpets are creamy white in the living room and run into wooden floors in the dining room. There’s a luxurious feel to this property, with its run of brightly-lit rooms, including a semi-circular sunroom.

Sizes are generous: the dining room is 21’ by 12’ and the living room is roughly the same. Gleaming double doors connect both rooms and the kitchen has hand-painted, white units with a black granite worktop and matching utility.

Walls are painted in muted colours and furniture is classic and comfortable. Brass double beds and a mahogany sleigh bed as well as built-in units are part of the bedroom fittings. One room is ensuite and another has a balcony overlooking the river.

Sheen Lodge has a full alarm system, keypad access and a sweeping drive from the road.

According to Ms Kelly, the house also comes with a galleried landing, cornicing and old-style radiators in some rooms. The gardens reflect the standard of the interior.

Tom Spillane and Co are also joint agents, with Michael Connor-Scarteen, in the sale of another detached property on the opposite side of Kenmare at Templenoe.

Here, at Reen, the agents are selling another, three-bedroom house on a spectacular, 2.5 acre site overlooking the water with a boathouse, slipway and stables included.

This ticks a lot of boxes for buyers and while the residence hasn’t got the same specifications as Sheen Lodge, it has bright, spacious rooms to take in those precious bay views.

One of just three properties sharing the roadway to the shoreline, the Reen house is also on the market at €1m through its joint agents.